Apparatus and method for erecting a carrier

ABSTRACT

Flattened basket style carrier blanks are loaded into a carton magazine and are individually removed therefrom at a feeding station. The feeding station sequentially comprises a pivoted suction cup for bending a trailing end of a blank out of the magazine, a shuttle mechanism for engaging a trailing edge of the blank and for moving the blank transversely relative to the magazine, deflecting means for engaging opposite surfaces of the blank and for deflecting a leading end thereof tangentially relative to the deflecting means and pinch rolls for receiving the leading end of the blank from the deflecting means.

O United States Patent [151 3,701,525 Masch 1 Oct. 31, 1972 [s41 APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR 2,052,632 9/1936 Klemm ..271/32 ERECTING A CARRIER 3,315,575 4/1962 Pinto ..271/32 X 1,375,042 4/1921 Feddersen et a]. 271/43 [72] Invent 2132"" San 1,073,741 9/1913 Cox ..271/30 31 3,210,072 10/1965 Baker et a]. ..27l/30 [73] Assignee: Fibreboard Corporation, San Francisc Calif, Primary Examiner-Joseph Wegbreit [22] iled March 19, 9 0 Attorney-Fryer, Tjensvold, Feix, Phillips & Lempio 21 Appl. No.2 24,974 ABSTRACT Flattened basket style carrier blanks are loaded into a Rehed Application Data carton magazine and are individually removed [62] Division of Ser. No. 664,390, Aug. 30, 1967, therefrom at a feeding station. The feeding station Pat. No. 3,521,427. sequentially comprises a pivoted suction cup for bending a trailing end of a blank out of the magazine, a 52 US. Cl. ..271/43 A Shuttle mechanism for engaging a trailing edge of the [51] Int. Cl. ..B65n 3/24 blank and moving the blank trailsversely relative to [58] Field of Search ..271/30 A, 43 A, 26, 32 the magazine, deflecting means engaging 0PPosite surfaces of the blank and for deflecting a leading end thereof tangentially relative to the deflecting means [56] References Cited and pinch rolls for receiving the leading end of the UNITED STATES PATENTS blank from the deflecting means.

2,282,41 l 5/ 1942 Sundstrand ..27l/26 X 9 Claims, 14 Drawing Figures PAIENTEDumm I972 SHEET 2 0F 7 llllllllllllllllllllllllllllYIll I I l I l l T \\JIrlITlllIlIllIllIIl|Illll I NVENTOR. HELMUT EW MASCH ATTORNEYS PAIENTE'Dnm 31 m2 SHEET 3 BF 7 INVENTOR. HELMUT EW MASCH 22 a ATTORNEYS PATENTEMBIBI 1 2 3.701. 525

' sum 4 or 7 VACUUM SOURCE INVENTQR.

' HELMUT 5 MASCH ATTORNEYS PATENTEDHBI 31 m2 SHEET 5 OF 7 OmN INVENTOR. HELMUT 5W. MASCH ATTORNEYS PATENTEDucI a1 1912 I SHEET 8 BF 7 INVENTOR HELMUT E. m MASCH ATTORNEYS PAIENTED um 31 m2 SHEEI 7 0F 7 INVENTOR. HELMUT EW. MASCH m: 0 16E a m M m9 @NN I E mo CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION tionary plow means are usually employed to open the blank to a rectangular form. The carriers bottom closure flaps are generally locked together mechanically by suitably arranged cut and tab means. Such conventional apparatus and methods are generally incapable of erecting more than 80 carriers per minute. Containers, such as bottles, are then dropped into suitably arranged pockets defined by divider panels of the carrier.

An object of this invention is to provide an apparatus and method whereby carriers can be erected efficiently at speeds approximating two hundred carriers per minute; a substantial increase over present-day speeds. In addition to such desiderata, further objects of this invention comprise: expeditious and efiicient loading of flattened carrier blanks into a magazine; and precisely controlled feeding of each blank from the magazine to an opening station.

Other and more specific objects of this invention will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 isa top plan view of the preferred apparatus embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, top plan view of a carrier blank loading station and magazine employed in the FIG. 1 apparatus;

FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the loading station;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 4- 4in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, top plan view of a feeding station employed in the FIG. 1 apparatus;

FIG. 5a is a view similar to FIG. 5 with parts removed for clarification purposes, illustrating the manner in which a carrier blank is fed out of the feeding station;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 7 7 in FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 8- 8 in FIG. 5;

FIG. 8a is a fragmentary top plan view of a pusher employed in the feeding station;

FIG. 8b is a top plan view of a suction cup arrangement employed in the feeding station;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 9 9 in FIG. 5;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line l-l0 in FIG. and

FIG. 11 is an enlarged top plan view of the feeding and opening stations employed in the FIG. 1 apparatus.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED APPARATUS EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 illustrates the general arrangement of the preferred apparatus embodiment of this invention. A stack of flattened carrier blanks B are loaded into the apparatus at a loading and magazine loading station and conveyed along a first linear path to a feeding station 200. The blanks are fed individually into an opening station 300 whereat opposite side panels of the blank are moved apart to open the carrier into a rectangular form.

The partially erected carrier is then transferred to a conveyor which moves the carrier along a second linear path through a folding and gluing station 400 to fold and secure the bottom closure flaps thereof together. The completed carriers are then conveyed to the discharge end of the apparatus whereat the carriers are preferably divided into two separate lines for filling P p LOADING AND MAGAZINE STATION I00 Referring to FIGS. 1-4, carrier blanks B are preferably of the type disclosed in U. S. Pat. application Ser. No. 551,263, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,41 1,663 by Norman H. Moore et al. for Basket-Style Carrier and Method for Forming Same. The blanks may be loaded onto a horizontally disposed table 101 out of an inverted corrugated case C. The table forms an integral part of a stationary frame 102 of the apparatus. The case is then removed to permit the blanks to stand upright on the table.

A pushing means comprises a loading bar 103 mounted for vertical and pivotal movements on a stationary column 104. The bar may be lifted manually (or automatically via a suitably arranged hydraulic ram or the like) and pushed against the stacked carriers. The blanks are moved against a first stationary guide rail 105 spaced above and adjacent to the table. The left end of the bar is then locked behind a lug 106, affixed to table 101. Thus the bar may further function as an extension of a top rail 107 of second stationary guide rails 107 and 108, as indicated by dotted lines in FIG. 2.

A first conveying means is arranged between table 101 and guide rail 105 to move the blanks along a substantially linear path toward feeding station 200. Such conveying means comprises a pusher assembly 109 arranged to be grasped manually by a handle 1 10 thereof to move the assembly and position it behind the stacked carrier blanks. Referring to FIG. 4, the assembly comprises a bracket 111 slidably and rockably mounted on a stationary rail 112, arranged substantially parallel with respect to the blank s line of flight. A pin 113 is formed on the lower one of three arms 114 which form extensions of bracket 1 l l.

The pin is arranged to engage a link of an endless conveyor chain 115 comprising a portion of the first conveying means. A second chain 116 is preferably arranged on the other side of this station. It should be noted that the pusher assembly could be attached to chain 115 by other means. For example, pin 113 could be spring-loaded and reciprocally mounted in lower arm 114. In such a modified arrangement bracket 1 11 would not require a rocking movement to'reposition the assembly behind the stacked blanks.

Arms 1 14 are arranged to engage the back side of the stacked blanks nearest rail 105 to urge them toward station 200. Chains 115 and 116 create an additional conveying force due to the slight frictional engagement existing between the chains and the blanks. It should be noted in FIG. 2 that first guide rail 105 and second parallel guide rails 107 and 108 are preferably spaced closer together than the width of the carrier blank, i.e., the blanks are arranged at an oblique angle relative to the line of blank flight. Such an arrangement facilitates precise blank conveyance and feeding as will be hereinafter described. The angle may be selected from a range of from thirty degrees to eighty degrees and preferably approximates sixty degrees (FIG. 2).

FEEDING STATION 200 Referring to FIGS. 5-10, feeding station 200is arranged to remove a carton blank from station 100 and move it toward opening station 300. FIGS. 5 and 5a disclose the feeding station as it would appear during two progressive states of the feeding operation. In particular, a bending or first suction 'cup means 201 comprises a bellow-type rubber suction cup 202 arranged to grasp a trailing end of the blank and bend it to the FIG. 5 position, i.e. substantially in the direction of the blanks linear flight inStation 100. Alternatively, the bending means could comprise a pivoted finger-like member arranged to hook onto and bend the blank.

The suction cup is mounted on a rigid conduit 203 attached to a bracket 204 (FIG. 8b). The other end of conduit 203 communicates with a flexible conduit 205 operatively associated with a selectively exposed vacuum or below ambient air source (FIG. 6). A cam means, hereinafter described, is arranged to alternately I pulsate a vacuum or ambient air pressure to cup 202 to provide the proper timing for the blank pick-up function. Abifurcated end of bracket 204 is attached to a rod 206 which is in turn clamped to a bracket 207 (FIG. 8).

Bracket 207 is further clamped to a vertically disposed rod 208, secured to a bellcrank 209. The bracket is journalled by suitable bearing means on a stub shaft 210, secured to a stationary table 211 of frame 102. Arm 209 has a first trunnion 212 secured thereto, the other end of the trunnion being slidably mounted in a sleeve bearing 213. The bearing is secured to an eccentric 214 comprising a pin 215 pivoted in a collar 216 by suitably arranged bearing means.

Collar 216 is secured to a sprocket 217 and a stub shaft 218, mounted for rotation in table .211. The upper end of the stub shaft is operatively connected to a shuttle means via a second eccentric 219. The shuttle means is arranged to engage a trailing edge of the blank to move it toward opening station 300 after cup 202 has released its vacuum. The second eccentric comprises collar 220 having a pin 221 rotatably mounted therein by suitable bearing means. A sleeve bearing 222 is secured to the pin and slidably mounts a second trunnion 223 therein.

The other end of the trunnion is attached to a bellcrank or bracket 224, suitably journalled in table 211 by means-of a stub shaft 225. The bracket has horizontally disposed-and spaced rods 226 and 227 attached thereto. Pushers 228 and 229 are mounted on ends of the respective rods. The pushers comprise hook poridler rollers 230 and 231 to position the leading edge thereof between pinch rollers or accelerating means 232 and 233.

It should be noted in FIG. 5a that the rounded end of guide rail 107 and idler roller 231 comprise deflecting means arranged to engage opposite surfaces of a forward blank to precisely deflect only the forward blank out of the magazine. The next blank will remain undisturbed in the magazine due to this arrangement. The force required to push the blank (via the shuttle means) is necessarily greater than the frictional force normally existing between the two forward-most blanks. Roller 231 is preferably adjustably mounted on table 211 (FIG. 5) to precisely set the deflecting means for a particular feeding application. In contrast to conventional gating arrangements, the deflecting means is insensitive to variations in paperboard caliper and the like. As clearly illustrated in FIG. 6, the idler rollers are mounted for rotation by suitable bearing means on upstanding shafts 234 and 235, respectively, secured to the stationary table.

Referring to FIG. 9, pinch roller 232 is rotatably mounted on a shaft 236 secured to table 211. A gear 237 is mounted on the lower end of theroller and arranged to mesh with a gear 238 secured to a shaft 239. Shaft 239 is rotatably mounted in stationary table 211 and has a sprocket 240 secured to the lower end thereof. Roller 233 is secured to a shaft 241, rotatably mounted in table 211. Shaft 241 has a sprocket 242 secured to its lower end, arranged to be integrated into a drive train of the apparatus along with sprocket 240.

It should be noted that the apparatus could function without utilizing rollers 232 and 233. However, such use of the rollers is preferred for most carrier blank erecting applications.

Referring to FIGS. 5, 6 and 10, chains and 116 are driven by sprockets 120 and 121, respectively. The sprockets are secured to a shaft 122, suitably journalled in spaced bearing arrangements 123 and 124. Shaft 122 is arranged to intermittently move chains 115 and l 16 toward carton feeding station 200 by two suitably arranged one-way clutches or clutch means 125. The one-way clutches are arranged to function opposite with respect to each other, i.e. they are free wheeling in opposite directions to prevent retrograde movement of the first conveying means.

An-arm 126 is operatively connected at a first end thereof to a link 127.'The other end of the link is pivotally mounted by a pin 128 to an eccentric arrangement 129. Such arrangement comprises a rotatable collar 130 secured to a shaft 131. The shaft is journalled by suitable bearing means in frame 102. A drive sprocket 132 is secured to the other end of the shaft and adapted to be integrated in the hereinafter described drive train for the apparatus.

A rotary member 243 (FIGS. 5 and 7) is preferably arranged between stations 200 and 300 to aid in the blank transfer and positioning functions. Member 243 comprises spaced lugs 244 and 245 and is mounted on a shaft 246. The shaft is journalled for rotation in table 211. A sprocket 247, attached to the lower end of the shaft, is arranged to be integrated into the drive train, along with a cam 248 (FIG. 6). The cam is arranged to selectively open and close a valve 249 to alternately communicate the above mentioned vacuum source or ambient air pressure to first suction cup 202.

OPENING STATION 300 mounted for rotation on vertically disposed stationary column 302 by spaced bearings 303 (FIG. 12). The turret is arranged to be driven by a bull gear 304 secured to the lower end. thereof. Four blank opening means are each arranged to pick up and open a blank to a substantially rectangular form as illustrated in FIG. 11. In particular, upon each full rotation of turret 301 a stationary suction assembly 305 (or second suction cup means) is arranged to cooperate with a movable suction cup assembly 306 (or third suction cup means) and pivoted arm means 307 to open the blank.

The partially erected carrier is then transferred to a conveyor in folding and gluing station 400. Arm means 307 is secured to a shaft 308 journalled in suitably arranged bearings (not shown) for pivotal movements on the turret.

FOLDING, GLUING AND DISCHARGE STATION 400 Referring to FIGS. 1 and 11, this station comprises a second conveying means, preferably in the form of an endless chain 401. The chain is mounted on sprockets 402 and 403 for moving the opened blanks, now forming partially erected carriers, along a substantially linear path. The chain has first and second lugs or pusher arms 404 and 405, respectively, mounted thereon to form a series of pockets for receiving the opened blanks therein. A pusher bar means 406 is preferably attached to each alternate second lug 405 to divide and discharge the fully erected carriers into two separate lines.

PREFERRED METHOD FOR ERECT'IN G CARRIER BLANKS The methods hereinafter described may be accomplished on the above described apparatus. However it will be readily understood that such methods could be accomplished on other types of apparatus and in many instances by hand.

A main drive motor is actuated to set the above described blank feeding and erecting mechanisms in motion. The loading method commences when the operator places corrugated case C, containing a plurality of flattened carrier blanks B, onto table 101 (FIG. 3). The case is removed for positioning the blanks in an upright position on the table. Pusher bar 103 is grasped manually for engaging front edges of the blanks. The blanks are then pushed along a substantially linear path a sufficient distance to engage the rear edges thereof with guide rail 105. The bar is preferably locked behind lug 106 to form an extension of guide bar 107.

Assembly 109 is then moved behind the blanks and locked to chain 115 via pin 113 for conveying the blanks along a linear path arranged perpendicular to the first mentioned one. Chains 115 and 116 are preferably arranged to provide a slight frictional engagement with bottom portions of the blanks to aid in the conveying step. As above described, rails 105 and 107 are preferably arranged for maintaining the blanks at an oblique angle (preferably 30 degrees to degrees) relative to the linear flight of the blanks.

The conveying and feeding method essentially comprises feeding the blanks out of such linear path and into opening station 200. Suction cup 202 (FIGS. 5 and 5a) is arranged for grasping and bending a trailing end of a forward blank out of the magazine wherein it is retained. Valve 249 (FIG. 6) is then actuated to release the vacuum to cup 202 and expose the cup to ambient air pressure. Substantially simultaneously therewith, pushers 228 and 229 engage an edge of the blanks trailing end to feed the blank out of the magazine. Idler roller 231 and the rounded end of guide bar 107 cooperate for deflecting the forward blank only out of the magazine.

Pinch rollers are arranged for grasping the leading end of the blank and accelerating the speed at which the blank is fed out of the magazine. Such speed preferably approximates the tangential speed of turret 301 and thus the rotary speed of stationary suction cups 315 and 316 (FIG. 11). The turret rotates to per mit suction cup assemblies 305 and 306 to grasp first and second side panels of the blank to move them away from each other to partially open the blank. Rotary member 243 is preferably arranged for forcing the blank into place onto the two stationary cups and to actuate the reciprocal valve stems thereof via edges of lugs 244 and 245.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus for erecting a blank, a magazine arranged to retain a plurality of stacked blanks therein and a feeding station comprising bending means for bending a trailing end of a forward one of said blanks out of said magazine, shuttle means arranged to cooperate with said bending means for engaging an edge of the trailing end of said blank to solely move said blank transversely out of said magazine and deflecting means arranged in said feeding station to cooperate with said bending means and said shuttle means to engage opposite surfaces of a blank for deflecting a leading end of said blank tangentially relative to said deflecting means as a result of movement of said blank out of said magazine by said shuttle means.

2. The invention of claim 1 further comprising accelerating means mounted in said feeding station for receiving said blank from said shuttle means and for moving said blank at a speed greater than imparted to said blank, by said shuttle means.

3. The invention of claim 1 further comprising a common drive means for simultaneously actuating said bending means and said shuttle means.

4. The invention of claim 1 comprising means mounting said bending means and said shuttle means in said feeding station for swivel movements toward and away from said magazine.

5. The invention of claim 1, wherein said deflecting means comprises a backup roll positioned forwardly of said magazine and an adjacent end of a stationary guide rail of said magazine.

6. In an apparatus for erecting a blank, a magazine arranged to retain aplurality of stacked blanks therein and a feeding station comprising feeding means for moving a forward one of said blanks transversely out of said magazine and deflecting means arranged adjacent to said feeding means to engage opposite surfaces of a blank for deflecting a leading end of said blank tangentially relative to said deflecting means as a result of movement of said blank out of said magazine by said feeding means.

7. A method for conveying and feeding a plurality of flattened blanks comprising the steps of conveying a plurality of flattened blanks along a linear path, maintaining said blanks at an oblique angle relative to said linear path, and feeding said blanks individually out of said linear path, including the step of deflecting a leading edge of a blank by engaging opposite surfaces thereof as a result of said feedingstep.

8. The invention of claim 7 wherein said maintaining step comprises maintaining said blank at an oblique angle selected from the range of from thirty degrees to eighty degrees relative to said linear path.

9. The invention of claim 7 wherein said feeding step includes the steps of grasping and bending a trailing end of one of said blanks and engaging an edge of said trailing end to feed said one blank out of said linear path. I 

1. In an apparatus for erecting a blank, a magazine arranged to retain a plurality of stacked blanks therein and a feeding station comprising bending means for bending a trailing end of a forward one of said blanks out of said magazine, shuttle means arranged to cooperate with said bending means for engaging an edge of the trailing end of said blank to solely move said blank transversely out of said magazine and deflecting means arranged in said feeding station to cooperate with said bending means and said shuttle means to engage opposite surfaces of a blank for deflecting a leading end of said blank tangentially relative to said deflecting means as a result of movement of said blank out of said magazine by said shuttle means.
 2. The invention of claim 1 further comprising accelerating means mounted in said feeding station for receiving said blank from said shuttle means and for moving said blank at a speed greater than imparted to said blank, by said shuttle means.
 3. The invention of claim 1 further comprising a common drive means for simultaneously actuating said bending means and said shuttle means.
 4. The invention of claim 1 comprising means mounting said bending means and said shuttle means in said feeding station for swivel movements toward and away from said magazine.
 5. The invention of claim 1, wherein said deflecting means comprises a backup roll positioned forwardly of said magazine and an adjacent end of a stationary guide rail of said magazine.
 6. In an apparatus for erecting a blank, a magazine arranged to retain a plurality of stacked blanks therein and a feeding station comprising feeding means for moving a forward one of said blanks transversely out of said magazine and deflecting means arranged adjacent to said feeding means to engage opposite surfaces of a blank for deflecting a leading end of said blank tangentially relative to said deflecting means as a result of movement of said blank out of said magazine by said feeding means.
 7. A method for conveying and feeding a plurality of flattened blanks comprising the steps of conveying a plurality of flattened blanks along a linear path, maintaining said blanks at an oblique angle relative to said linear path, and feeding said blanks individually out of said linear path, including the step of deflecting a leading edge of a blank by engaging opposite surfaces thereof as a result of said feeding step.
 8. The invention of claim 7 wherein said maintaining step comprises maintaining said blank at an oblique angle selected from the range of from thirty degrees to eighty degrees relative to said linear path.
 9. The invention of claim 7 wherein said feeding step includes the steps of grasping and bending a trailing end of one of said blanks and engaging an edge of said trailing end to feed said one blank out of said linear path. 